After rebirth, I married the emperor's uncle and overthrew my ex-husband's kingdom

The tax increase was like a drop of ice water falling into a frying pan. For a time, the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty complained and were filled with resentment.

"Every year we have to pay 40% in land tax, and there is also this weird head tax. Now the head tax has to be increased by another 10%. They are killing us!!"

"How will I live in the future?!"

"The harvest this year was not good. We don't know how we're going to get through the winter even after paying the land tax. Now they want to collect an additional head tax. This is going to drive us to death!!"

Xu Lingyun stood on the other side of the bulletin board, looking at the people with despair on their faces. He pursed his lips tightly, his expression heavy.

The emperor's move was too sudden, and the ministers in the court only found out about it after the news spread.

Captain Liu stood beside him and sighed, "Our dynasty already has heavy taxes, and now we have added a head tax. I'm afraid that selling children and drowning girls will become common again in the future."

"Send someone to watch over it to prevent any unrest."

He had no way to deal with the emperor's order. Now he could only wait for the civil and military officials to petition at the same time to see if the emperor could revoke his order.

Captain Liu brought people from the yamen to maintain order. Xu Lingyun went to Censor Liu's residence, but was told that Censor Liu had already entered the palace.

"Why did your master come to the palace?"

Xu Lingyun's heart sank, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.

The housekeeper frowned, "It's all about taxes. My master changed his job and entered the palace after hearing about it."

He glanced in the direction of the palace, his heart filled with worry, "I'm afraid he has already entered the palace."

Censor Liu is a man of strong character and a man who would rather die than yield. If he angers the emperor, he will be in great trouble!

Without saying a word, Xu Lingyun quickly walked out of Liu's house and rushed to the palace as fast as possible.

It was still too late. Censor Liu was escorted out of the imperial study by the Imperial Guards.

"Master Liu!"

Xu Lingyun was horrified and quickened his pace to trot over.

"A wise ruler should abide by the Way of Heaven, think about the survival of the nation, and the well-being of the people! Today's rulers are ignorant and foolish, and treat the people of the world as a joke. They impose heavy taxes and launch wars recklessly, making the people of the world suffer unspeakably!"

"A tyrant ruler is ruining the country, and the people are living in misery!!"

Censor Liu's eyes were bloodshot, and he shouted in grief and anger at the bright sky.

The imperial guards were afraid that he would say something shocking again, so they quickly reached out to cover his mouth, "Lord Liu, please be careful with your words!"

Censor Liu was stripped of his official uniform, leaving only a snow-white undershirt with bloodstains on his forehead.

Xu Lingyun stopped the Imperial Guards who were about to leave and asked nervously, "Where are you taking Lord Liu?"

The imperial guards glanced at Censor Liu with a look of pity, "Lord Liu was disrespectful to His Majesty, and has been ordered to be beaten to death by the Emperor!"

"what?!"

Xu Lingyun looked at the tightly closed door of the Shangshufang in disbelief. He could never have imagined that the Emperor would want to kill Censor Liu because of this matter!

"Wait a minute, I will ask the Saint to give me some leniency!"

The two royal guards looked at each other and nodded.

"I am just following orders, please hurry up, Master Xu."

"Master Xu, please stay!"

Censor Liu broke free from the Imperial Guards' hands and shouted at Xu Lingyun who was walking quickly.

Xu Lingyun stopped walking, and Censor Liu broke free from the Imperial Guards' hands, "No need to hold me back, I won't run away, I just want to talk to Lord Xu."

He straightened his back and walked towards Xu Lingyun step by step, standing in front of him.

"Master Liu——"

Censor Liu raised his hand to stop him from speaking, saying, "Lord Xu, there is no need to plead for me. As a censor, when the monarch is confused and the country is in danger, I should not care about my own honor or disgrace, but speak out and make corrections to the court."

"Lord Xu, I know you have the heart to save your master and make up for his mistakes. But the current ruler is foolish and incompetent, stubborn and self-willed, only caring about his own pleasure and not caring about the lives of the people. Such behavior is not what a wise ruler should do."

"Master Liu, if you can spare my life, you can plead for the people of the world in the future."

Xu Lingyun's eyes were full of anxiety.

"I have only one life left. If today's action can eliminate the accumulated abuses and eradicate the deep-seated ills, and provide the people with a chance to breathe, I am willing to die in exchange for the light of the day!"

"Sir Xu, I know you are loyal to the emperor and the country." Censor Liu didn't want Xu Lingyun to bring trouble to him, so he whispered in his ear, "But the emperor is stupid, he should appoint wise men!"

"Master Liu!"

Xu Lingyun followed his steps and took a step forward.

Censor Liu stopped walking, turned around and gave him a gratified smile, "As long as you and Lord Zhao are here in my Great Zhou, I will die with my eyes closed."

The Imperial Guards escorted Censor Liu away, and Xu Lingyun walked quickly towards the imperial study.

Chief Steward Chen stopped him and said with a smile, "Sir Xu, His Majesty's headache recurred today and he just took medicine and went to bed. If you have nothing else to do, please go back first."

"Manager Chen, please inform me that I have something important to report!"

Xu Lingyun looked anxious, and Manager Chen raised his lips slightly, "We know you are here for Censor Liu's matter, so we advise you not to get involved."

That Liu Ye dared to point at the emperor's name and call him a tyrant. It would be strange if the emperor didn't chop off his head.

Xu Lingyun is a person the emperor values, otherwise he would not bother to say this.

Xu Lingyun's voice was hoarse. "Is there really no way around this?"

"No." Manager Chen shook his head.

The emperor is gone, but Censor Liu's life is at stake...

Xu Lingyun didn't care about the crime of trespassing, pushed Manager Chen aside, and rushed in directly by pushing open the door of the imperial study.

At this moment, the emperor was holding a pretty palace maid in her arms, who was in disheveled clothes. When he saw him barging in, his face suddenly darkened.

"How dare you break into the imperial study without permission? Aren't you afraid that I will chop off your head?"

He pushed the maid away, straightened his messy clothes, and scolded coldly.

Xu Lingyun thought about the emperor reviewing memorials, and also thought about whether he was really taking a rest as Chen Zongguan said, but he only thought about seeing such an erotic scene in the imperial study.

This is an important military location, and yet he is so dissolute!

At the moment, Censor Liu’s life was more important. He lifted up his robe and knelt down. The moment his knees touched the ground, there was a thud, which made everyone in the imperial study feel nervous.

"emperor!"

Xu Lingyun raised his head. "Censor Liu's behavior was too radical, but as a censor, it is my duty to speak out and give advice. I beg the emperor to spare his life for the sake of his past hard work!"

His voice was earnest and his expression was anxious, but the emperor remained unmoved and continued to look at him expressionlessly, with indifference and majesty in his eyes.

"Humph, the censor has the duty to speak out and give advice, but Liu Ye is so bold that he dares to insult me!"

The emperor waved his sleeves vigorously, "I am the Son of Heaven, how can I allow you to offend me? For such a disrespectful crime, I only want to spare his life, which is already a mercy!"

"emperor!"

Xu Lingyun wanted to plead for mercy, but the emperor glared at him coldly, "Since you have been helping me with my worries for many years, I will forgive you for your trespassing. But if you continue to be stubborn, I will punish you for multiple crimes!"

The emperor was too impatient to deal with him, so he called in the imperial guards, who forcibly dragged him out.

Steward Chen closed the door again, looked at Xu Lingyun and said earnestly: "Sir Xu, the matter of Censor Liu is a foregone conclusion, you should leave the palace."

The emperor was gone, so Xu Lingyun hurried to where Censor Liu was.

When he saw the scene in front of him, he was so shocked that he froze in place.

Censor Liu was already dead, his snow-white undershirt was soaked in blood, he was lying on a chair with his eyes bulging and his mouth full of blood.

The Imperial Guard put away his wooden stick and turned to face Xu Lingyun. The two were stunned for a moment, then quickly lowered their heads to pack their things.

Just now, Manager Chen sent someone to deliver a message, and they had to obey the order.

Xu Lingyun dragged his heavy legs and walked over slowly. His throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton and his eyes were filled with tears.

Censor Liu was upright throughout his life. He dared to speak out what others dared not to speak out, and he dared to advise against what others dared not to advise.

As an imperial censor, his name should go down in history!

Xu Lingyun squatted down, raised his hand to close Censor Liu's eyes, and said to the eunuch who was holding a broom to clean the place, "Could you please fetch me a coat?"

"Master Xu, please wait a moment."

The young eunuch quickly put down the broom in his hand and ran away.

I don't know when the dark clouds covered the scorching sun, and suddenly a strong wind blew up, and a chill spread from the soles of my feet to my whole body.

Xu Lingyun couldn't help but shiver.

The young eunuch brought over a newly made coat. Xu Lingyun stood up with his numb body, took the coat from his hand and covered Liu Yushi with it.

When the people in Liu's mansion got the news, the sound of wailing echoed throughout the mansion.

It was drizzling outside, and Xu Lingyun returned to his residence in the rain.

Xu Mengling hadn't seen him for many days, and was a little surprised when she saw him. "Dad, why did you leave the government office so early today?"

He is usually busy with official duties and sometimes is not seen for half a month. Today he comes back so early, which is the first time in many years.

"It's raining, why don't you open an umbrella?"

He was soaking wet, so Xu Mengling quickly asked someone to prepare hot water and get the robe he usually wore.

Xu Lingyun seemed to have blocked his hearing. He could not hear Xu Mengling's voice and just sat in the chair in a daze.

The emperor is stupid and should be ordered to appoint wise and capable people.

The words that Censor Liu said to him before his death kept echoing in his mind.

The current emperor cannot be considered an emperor who works hard and loves his people. It is indeed as what Censor Liu said, he is greedy for pleasure, foolish and incompetent, extremely suspicious and narrow-minded!

If we can appoint wise and capable people, who should we appoint?

In the royal family, only the crown prince and the third prince are now adults, while the other princes are still young and their character is unknown.

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince are both very similar in character to the Emperor. No matter who of them ascends the throne in the future, he will be the second current emperor.

Xu Mengling packed up everything and stood beside him and called him several times, but he didn't respond. She had no choice but to reach out and push him.

"Dad, go take a hot bath."

It is almost September and the weather is a little chilly.

Xu Lingyun came back to his senses, "What's wrong?"

"The hot water is ready, go take a shower."

Only then did he feel the coldness on his body, and Xu Lingyun got up and went to the bathroom.

Xu Mengling looked at the invitation on the table with a hint of annoyance in her eyes, "Reply to the invitation and tell them that I have something to do tomorrow and cannot attend."

Xiao Liuer took the invitation and said with disdain, "The people from Yongning Marquis' Mansion are really annoying. They have rejected me so many times but they still send me invitations every now and then."

"Just don't accept the post next time."

Ever since she learned that Bai Zhenzhen wanted to be her stepmother, Xu Mengling felt as sick as if she had swallowed a fly.

But she declined all of them, and Bai Zhenzhen even pretended to be unaware and came up to her to make friends with her.

At the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, Lu Chen asked someone to buy food and fodder, and this time he also made a batch of cotton-padded clothes, so he planned to go to the border again in person.

Bai Youyou counted the goods with him, and Lu Chen told her, "Let Lu Qi stay by your side to protect you. If you are worried about Bai Yaoyao, I will send someone else to keep an eye on her."

"Row."

Bai Youyou readily agreed.

Those two experiences taught her a lesson. Bai Yaoyao wouldn't cause any big trouble, so she must not lose her life.

Bai Yaoyao, who was mentioned by them, was now being harassed by Bai Yanlang.

"Yaoyao, think about it carefully and see if there is any way to find a job for dad."

"I've given you so many ways, who can you blame if you're useless?"

Bai Yaoyao fiddled with the newly bought gemstones, glanced at him sideways, and her tone was filled with impatience.

Not only was Xu Lingyun the first to get involved in the human trafficking matter, he even messed up the task of waiting for the girl from Xianhu Lake.

This guy is really bad at everything and is the best at doing bad things!

"You should stay at home. When my brother graduates from high school, you can assist him in his work."

"Is your elder brother really going to high school?"

Bai Yanlang still didn't quite believe it, but just as he finished speaking, Li He's happy voice came from outside the door: "Master, great news, the eldest young master passed the exam and even topped the list!"

"real!!"

Bai Yanlang jumped up from his chair excitedly, "Quick, quick, give more money to the person who delivered the newspaper!"

In the Mingtang, Bai Qingyu and Li and others were a little bit unbelievable when they heard that Bai Mulin won the second place.

"That half-educated guy actually got the Asian dollar. Could it be that the person who reported the news made a mistake?"

They all knew how knowledgeable Bai Mulin was. After just a few days of not seeing him, he already looked like the top of the list.

Everyone looked at each other, feeling that the world was a little mysterious.

"I heard that Bai Yaoyao is highly valued by the prince. Now Bai Mulin has passed the imperial examination. I'm afraid the second branch will be able to make a comeback in the future."

Xiao Qiang stood beside Lu Zhengnan, her eyes flickering, "Now that the Third Prince has lost his power, he may become the Crown Prince's successor in the future. Yaoyao may——"

Li and Bai Qingyu also began to have ideas in their minds.

Previously, they were more optimistic about the Third Prince who had the General's Mansion as his backer. Now that the General's Mansion has fallen and the Third Prince has lost power, the position of the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace is as stable as a rock.

If they go and seek refuge with the prince now, maybe they can even gain the credit of following him.

Li said, "You should spend more time with Yaoyao and the others in the future. Sisters should be more affectionate with each other."

"Mother, Yaoyao is on good terms with the Crown Prince, why don't you ask the Crown Prince to ask the people at the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to take back my batch of cotton and linen cloth!"

Because of this batch of goods, Bai Qingshuang was so anxious that her hair turned white.

I sent people to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to plead for me many times, but they didn't care about our friendship at all.

Indeed, there is no affection between them.

Half of the goods are moldy, and they were sold at the price of cabbage. Now if the remaining half is not sold, it will be a loss again.